Whats the worst thing about living aboard?

chough

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Further to my last post ( thanks all who replied) if i can find a suitable mooring down here in cornwall im going to be looking at boats with a view to living aboard ( my first).
I want to prepare myself for the worst and would love to know what downsides there are that i may not have thought about!!
/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 

liverpoold

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I suppose it depends on your mooring. I only liveaboard weekends but my DP fulltime.
I think the weather is a pain, especially at the mo. If you are on a drying out mooring you will constantly have a wet/dirty boat (especially if you have pets/dogs). If the weather is really bad you may not be able to get to shore (too rough to row, too shallow for engine).
Lots of maintenance.
You need to think about power, if you do not have an electrical supply, you will need to start your engines to charge batteries for lights etc. Tilley lamps are a nightmare!
Gets quite boring sometimes at night without computer/TV etc especially if you do not have enough light to read.
You will need a wood burner for comfort/heat!
Good Luck!
Selina
 

jeremyshaw

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As with anything, it's the baggage you bring with you. I've seen people are happy as Larry in an 20 footer by a sewage outfall with no fresh water; I've been next to a USD15m dollar yacht where they looked p****d off all day long....
 

mandlmaunder

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No such thing as a downside...it just needs a different mindset!

Seriously, the only concerns really are re. enough power, fresh water, and keeping the sea OUTSIDE!. *
All of which take a little thought n 4planning.
Can't think that life 'on land' is all it's cracked up to be, and having lived aboard for many years now just can't imagine living in a house ever again!


*.....and a large supply of Ziplock bags!!!
 

mandlmaunder

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Yep....miss the garden and the veg/fruit.....but so many varieties of veg/fruit here that we never had before!!!!!

Other things missed: a bath, twilight. However, we have the world's biggest bath six steps away and we can sit in the cockpit in the moonlight until whatever time we wish. (Only a few opportunities to do that in the UK garden!)
 

Oliveoyl

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Ah yes, the bath.... easy to overlook, compared to leccy/ water/shops....And as for the world's biggest bath, you can't really do the bubble bath/ candles/glass of wine thing.
 

mandlmaunder

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From SWMBO.....aaaaaah, a woman after my own heart....but what about the novel as well or, maybe more importantly, the gorgeous man!

Tried the late night thing in the sea here, but some unwelcome attention from large tarpon, small sharks, swimming crabs, that sort of thing. Oh, and fellow yachties who thought it was fun to turn their 'million candle power' lights on us............
 

LadyJessie

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I really have to rake my brains for coming up with a downside. I hit myself daily for waiting too long to start this cruising liveaboard life.

But if I have to come up with a negative; it is that is becoming increasingly difficult to maintain your old friendships from your landbased time. This is due to a combination of firstly geographical distance: it is difficult for people to get to see you. Secondly, you will find that some of your landbased friends really live in a different world. I have had many old professional friends aboard who just could not relax and forget the office. They would tell you in detail what the present political infighting is in the office. Sitting in a beautiful bay in Turkey; that is just not at all relevant or interesting in my life anymore. But they cannot see that and it can create a friction.

The good news is that thanks to the modern communication methods of email and Skype; you will be able maintain a good relation with your really best friends. And maybe that is another benefit of cruising the world: you will find out who your real best friends are.

And the really good news is that the cruising community is composed of fantastically interesting people so you will find some very good new friends that share your view of the world.
 

INKABOAT

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The worst thing about living aboard is the shorebound people you meet coming up to retirement on around £75000 a year who say 'I don't know how you can afford it' or 'What do you do all day?' When you tell them you get by handsomely on £700/month on the French Canals they look on in astonishment!
John Barrett
 

ccscott49

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Dont know of any downsides, just plan properly for your particular area.
I've lived aboard for 14 years, in Holland, UK, Portugal, Spain, Sardinia, these are the places I've wintered, not cruised!
A bath, now some of the girls would love one, so whats wrong with finding a nice cheap B&B now and again and treating the little lady? I'm sure when in a place long enough, especially in the UK, friends can be made who have a bath?
Lagos in portugal was the only marina I have found, so far, which had a family bathroom, with bath etc. Great, but I dont need baths, prefer a shower anyway!
In a secluded anchorage, a dinghy half full of water, does very nicely!
 
D

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There is plenty that you will miss:
- Traffic jams and being able to check out the eye-candy that is also stuck.
- Overcrowded tubes/trains and having some hot tottie pressed up against you.
- Living right on top of your neighbours and discussing the crappy weather.

I am sure others can add to this list.
 
D

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Yep, I miss the cruising lifestyle and being a live aboard.
 

Dragonfly

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You want a list? (ok, but bear in mind I'm living aboard a 95 year old wooden boat in Cyprus...)
No water or electricity
Anchorage NOT a proper berth- we had to supply floating dock to get on and off our boat
Leaks... above my side of the berth
Banging my head on the ironwork, or shins
Rolling from side to side when an idiot fisherman goes too fast. Trust me, it takes a lot of swell to make a 38 ton boat roll...
Wind... regular Coptic storms make everything noisy
Regular storms are annoying
The heat and humidity in summer... way too much
Working in a country where they don't respect foreigners or women... and they can't drive
Having no storage while different bits of the boat are being worked on... at the moment its the galleys turn so everything is all over the saloon
Having to make friends so we can have hot baths
No internet connection (although I got this in my job now!)
Damp.. don't get much but we keep forgetting to get clothes out of the cupboards every so often.. phew!
Having to carry everything onto the boat... and off... and not being able to wear nice clothes cos they get ripped, dirty, and /or smelly too quickly
Not enough storage space for everything you need.
Everything having to be in plastic boxes/ bags
No fridge (but that is being worked on!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)
Oh yes, nearly forgot- ****hole harbour masters and rip-off merchants posing as their helpers or agents!

I'm sure there's more but that'll do for now! /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 

ChrisE

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Dare I say it, other liveaboards. As others have said you do meet some fantistically interesting people on your travels but as with a land based life you also meet some mk1 twits. Such as:

1. those that rush to meet you as soon as you arrive at a new anchorage for a drink and then forget to invite you back.

2. The peeps that have been sailing too long and could, and in some cases most certainly should, be certified.

3. And then there's the Olympic flames who never go out, they've got as far as they are likely to ever go and spend endless time telling you just why the conditions/ time of year/ etc are not quite right yet.

But for all that it is still quite a bit of fun...
 

chough

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wow! so much feed back. thanks every one. I was starting to feel positive having noted that most people found baths the worst problem. That was until i read the the post from dragonfly.
It does rather beg the question WHY are you living aboard!! Maybe i should start a new post on the positives!!! /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
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